meertt Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Every day we are faced with challenges and opportunities. No one can tell which experience will lead to a groundbreaking thought or a new career. It is hard–perhaps impossible–to judge the significance of any moment. What will have the bigger impact? That I’m dedicated to being physically fit and healthy? Or that I watched an uplifting documentary today. Was my time spent in refugee camp the inspiration for me to go to college? Or a high school teacher that made me love biology and think about health professions? In college, I majored in health sciences with a concentration in emergency and critical care and became an EMT. After graduating, eager to learn more, I started the paramedic program. The education and experience I gained throughout the paramedic program have been of great value. From conducting patient assessments, to performing certain procedures, such as starting an intravenous line or intubating, I have a head start on some of the clinical aspects of working as a PA. I found myself loving hospital rotations, where I received insight to a lot of different health professions. One surprising observation I made while rotating in the emergency department at Stony Brook Hospital is that the tasks of a paramedic are essentially the same as those of a physician assistant: to critically listen a patient’s story, determine the symptoms, analyze, create a plan, execute, and communicate effectively. Furthermore, both paramedics and PAs excel in team work. After graduating, I did not immediately know that I wanted to become a PA. I have considered several different roles in healthcare. My interest in sports and exercise pointed me towards a career as a personal trainer or physical therapist. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that my interests were broader than that. I thought about nursing, but I am interested in the diagnostics and analytical aspects of medicine and want to be involved in creating a plan of action for the patients. Of course, I thought about medical school but found that the PA profession has many advantages that the physician profession does not. PAs can work in several different fields in medicine or change specialties, whereas a doctor would have to do another residency. I know that I am interested in becoming a cardiology PA. However, I loved my rotations in the ER and imagine that I might like to do both. I never turn down an opportunity to grow and try something different. The role of a PA is also more fitting to my personality and skills. I enjoy working under another professional. I do my best work when I am part of a team, anticipating their needs and working steps ahead of them to improve quality and efficiency. Working as a research coordinator at Stony Brook Internist, where I help enroll and care for over 150 patients, the principle investigator relies on me to have everything organized and have the visits go smoothly. I like the idea of having a supervising physician that I can consult. Our site participates in global Phase III and IV, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trials. Working at the site level has been an invaluable education, and the organizations conducting these trials–Harvard Medical School and Cleveland Clinic–have provided an equally important exposure to the gold standards of academia and research management. I understand that PAs often function autonomously, consulting the doctor only as needed. In my job at Eastern Suffolk Cardiology, I work side-by-side with the PAs and our Cardiologists. I enjoy working there because I get to assist and observe the PAs in all of their work, from conducting stress tests to performing physical exams. Working this closely with our PAs, I have gained a comprehensive understanding of the profession and the curriculum. As a research coordinator, the patient-provider relationship has been nothing short of heartwarming. I’ve developed close and personal ties with the participants. One patient, Mrs. Doe, 81, insists I add an extra 30 min to her appointments to have coffee and catch-up. Mr. Z, 60, always the comedian, drives a few hours for his visits, although they can be done on the phone, because he has a joke to tell us. Yes, the pathphysiology of their underlying disease and the mechanisms of the treating biologics are intriguing, but the real reward is the patient connection. I have worked at ESC now for almost 3 years. What I have learned is that I love patient care as well as the culture and environment of health care. I may not be one of those candidates who grew up knowing that they wanted to be a PA but I am certain now. Whether it was a documentary or a teacher that inspired me to choose this path, I am forever grateful. I know that moments in my life–big and small–have led me to this profession for a reason, and I am eager to begin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kargiver Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 ok, not bad. Needs some work - but a workable first draft. Get rid of the autonomy aspect - it has no bearing on your essay and it opens up the question to any reviewer: do you want medical school instead? Get rid of all acronyms, even if defined elsewhere, and rework it. But you are off to a decent start. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paproof Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Don't ask rhetorical questions in your essay, especially at the beginning. Intro definitely needs work. Get the reader's attention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teacher2PAC Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Parts of this is plagiarized from another user who made it to PA school months ago. I hope you did not use this to apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggySRNA Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Parts of this is plagiarized from another user who made it to PA school months ago. I hope you did not use this to apply. Ouuuuui Now I'm curious to see where the original is...if it is in fact plagiarized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 After skimming your essay (which unfortunately is often how it's done) I really don't feel like I know much about you as a person. You kicked out a few things about a refugee camp that I might have been interested in, but then you plowed ahead with a fairly traditional (and hopefully not plagiarized) path and how you chose your path. I've said this before: the only role of your essay is to make the reader want to invite you in for an interview. It would be nice to know why you decided to become a PA, but it will be your shadow time -- and hands-on HCE -- that would most likely convince a reviewer that you kind of know what you are getting into. It's not easy writing about yourself. Make me want to meet you. The typical reviewer has a computer input of CASPA applications that have been reviewed for grades, prereqs, etc. He or she has been told to pick who they would like to have invited. That's your audience. Talk to them. Get their interest in the first paragraph and hold it. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggySRNA Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 ...you plowed ahead with a fairly traditional (and hopefully not plagiarized) path and how you chose your path. Don't hold your breathe... ... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpkpa Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I want to know what Mrs Doe wants to chat about over coffee and more about Mr. Z's jokes. Make the reader want to join you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghg123 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 This is plagiarized from this: http://pajourney.com/2015/03/13/my-caspa-personal-statement-as-an-example/ Please write your essay over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paproof Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Are people seriously plagiarizing? If you applied with this and were caught, I ASSURE you, you'd be blacklisted by every PA school that figured it out. Just... wow. This is why someone should have a minimum amount of posts before posting on a thread like this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbum Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Just when you thought you'd seen it all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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